Every 14 Days I Still Believe
by mariposafria
Summary: Sam listens to and resaves an accidental voice mail message from Mercedes every 14 days. He got it when he was 'So June', but now that he's back, he's going to use it to remind Mercedes that they deserve a real second chance. A TWO-shot.
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything, not the show, the characters, nada….**

**Title: Every 14 Days I Still Believe (part one)**

**Setting: Season 3, up to end of "Heart". **

**Purpose: I owe you some MAJOR smiles after the tears :), so this one is sweet and fluffy as hell! Seriously tho, I am still getting PMs about the tears... I must make it up to you, dear readers. This will be a two-shot.**

**Dedication: To everyone brave enough to read (and review) Web of Love, even after the ugly cries.**

* * *

><p><strong>14 Days After Sam Moved Away<strong>

_Brrrrrrrrr...Brrrrrrrr…...Brrrrrrr…..._

"Sammy! Your phone is ringing. Do you want me to answer it?"

"YES, yes, grab it! It could be Mercedes!" By the time Sam makes his way to the room he shared with Stevie, the downcast look on his brother's face lets him know that he missed the call. Sam is about to yell at Stevie for being too slow, but he knows that he tried. Stevie feels so bad about it that he can't even look Sam in the eyes. Sam places one hand on Stevie's shoulder, deciding that one missed phone call is not worth making his brother feel like crud. "C'mere kid. It's okay. If it is important she'll leave a message. It probably wasn't her anyway. I haven't heard from anybody in Ohio since we moved." Turning his brother so that he could look him in the eyes, Sam reassures him. "Seriously, it was probably the _Dairy Queen_ calling me back about my job application."

Uncertainty still coloring his tone, Stevie peers up, asking, "You sure?" Sam nods yes, causing Stevie's face to brighten. Handing Sam his phone, he says, "Here, looks like it was important cuz there's a message." Just in case it was Mercedes, Stevie decides to leave the room. Sam's facial expressions where Mercedes was concerned made even him blush.

Sam can't fight the rush of endorphins through his veins when he looks at the caller ID and sees Mercedes' name. His entire body jumps as if struck by lightning. He wants to think that this is a good sign and his heart won't let his brain convince him otherwise. _She finally called. I guess two weeks was enough time for her to get over me, so now we can at least be friends again. _Pressing one as he holds the phone up to his ear, Sam braces himself for the message. What he hears on the other side ignites a storm of emotion. The message brings him joy, while at the same time it makes his eyes water with regret and sadness. The message fixes a smile so broad and wide on his face that even his stressed out father notices later that night at dinner. The message makes him long for a reason to go back for his second chance with his first real love.

One thing Sam realizes as he listens to the message over and over again is that it was a message that Mercedes never meant to send. He told her time and time again about locking her phone so that she didn't accidentally make pocket calls. Now he is glad that she never listened.

He knows it is a gift. A tiny nugget of love wrapped gold that fate, the cosmos, destiny, God or something decided that he needed to hear. It is something completely unintended that brings him a little hope, a little comfort, and a little peace. He never wanted to leave. And she was too wonderful to make it too hard for him to go. She has her way to mend her broken heart and he has his. After listening to the message one last time, he follows the prompt and saves it.

Her message will be saved for 14 days and 14 days only.

The day he fails to re-save it is the day that he knows he's finally over Mercedes Jones.

* * *

><p><strong>The 14<strong>**th**** of February**

**Finn Loves His Cake, Even in 'Pan' form…**

Today of all days, Sam Evans is slow to rise. He can hear his phone buzzing from somewhere on the dresser, and after much convincing, he gets up to retrieve it. He's missed a call from home.

_Hi Sammy! Happy Valentine's Day!_ Hearing his brother and sister's voices brings an immediate smile to Sam's face. _We love you so much. We made you a valentine, and hopefully you'll get it in the mail today, but if not, mommy said we could call to let you know that we're thinking about you. Tell Mercedes we said 'hi' and that we love her too! _As the two siblings descend into giggles, Sam's smile falters. He didn't have the heart to tell them that Mercedes was with someone else (for now). He's still banking on them being back together before he has to fess up. _Bye Sammy! Mommy and Daddy say they love you too!_

Saving the message, Sam is prompted to review other saved messages. Long born out of habit, his fingers automatically press the buttons necessary to listen to his accidental summer message from Mercedes. As he listens, he tries to imagine what she is doing when she left it. He's still wearing that dopey, mushy, 'this is giving me so many warm feelings' face when Kurt pops his head into the room Sam shared with Finn.

"Hey, you better hurry up. Finn's already downstairs, and once he gets started, my world famous fluffier than air heartcakes are as good as gone."

Nodding in thanks, Sam quickly saves the message before getting ready for the day. Maybe today will be the day that he tells her that he heard her loud and clear, even if she didn't realize it.

Or maybe not.

**A Whole Lot of LOVE and In My Humble Opinion A Whole LOT of HEARTACHE Too…**

One again, Sam finds himself caught in a storm of emotion named Mercedes Jones. This song is so beautiful, so touching, and sung so well it makes his heart swell. Mercedes sounds so good that he wants to smile. Truth be told, getting caught up in how wonderful it sounds and how gorgeous she looks, he almost does, but the tears sliding down his face quickly remind him that this song is so heartbreaking, so crushing, and sung so well it makes his heart break too.

"And I will always love you…"

_This hurts worse than when I broke up with Quinn. She hurt me, but love cuts both ways and Quinn would never let herself get hurt. She never really let me in that close. This hurts more than when I had to move away. I had no control over that. But this? Mercedes doesn't want to be with me? She gave me her whole heart and the only strings attached tied it to mine. And…now she wants to cut them?_ As Mercedes' song dies out, and Sam can only assume any chance they may have had dies with it.

Sam gets up and walks away, leaving Glee Club. No one tries to stop him.

What on earth could anyone say after the most heartfelt performance ever to be sung in Glee has left them all a bit broken and sad? "Sam, you tried and sometimes it just wasn't meant to be? Sam, she's doing what is right and you just don't see it now? Sam, it's not _never_, just not _right now_? Sam, be patient and maybe she'll come around? Sam, Quinn's single, you interested? Sam…." Just, _no_. There is nothing that could be said to him at that moment that will make any of it any better. There is nothing that could be said that will make it make sense. There is nothing that can comfort him.

So rather than try, they let him go.

Sam is still trying to make his way through the hall, fighting back his tears, willing them to stop falling, shaking his head against the pain in his chest. _What am I supposed to do now? She still loves me but she can't be with me. I still love her and I only want to be with her. Do I wait? Do I move on? _He is now in the boy's locker room, staring at his reflection in the mirror. _I don't wanna move on and honestly I've been waiting since I left to get back together with Mercedes. How could she do this to me? To us? How the hell am I supposed to sing with her tonight at Sugar's party after this?_

Wiping his face, he rolls his shoulders and leans in close to the mirror. _Put on your brave face Sam and sing, just like always._

…

Love cuts both ways, and Mercedes cries just as many tears as Sam. Even though it is her decision, it hurts her just as badly as it hurts Sam. Even though it is her decision, it confuses her just as much as it does Sam. She loves him just as much as he loves her, but…this is never the way it was supposed to work.

One kiss. One stolen kiss. One chaste kiss. One stolen kiss. One little kiss. One stolen kiss. Everything in love she had is lost over one stupid kiss.

In a few weeks time Sam Evans managed to make her rethink everything she thought she knew and all that she thought she's figured out. Admittedly, she may not have been completely over Sam, but Shane deserved better. _I didn't know that you could love two people at the same time, for different reasons and in completely different ways. I never thought I'd see Sam again. I quit him; I broke up with him so he wouldn't feel bad about leaving and even trying to do some kind of long distance thing. I was happy; my life was good before he came back, joyful even. I had severed all ties with Sam Evans, every last one of them. _

Guess the ones around her heart weren't as easy to cut. She could stop talking about him, stop talking to him, and stop herself from thinking about him. Mercedes could 'summer fling' Sam all she wanted. She knows whose face she saw every night in her dreams; that place where all of the lies and half-truths she told herself during the day fell away. It was an inevitable process and she knew it, or at least deep down she did. She thought she had moved on, but she was still in love with Sam. Her heart knew it the moment his hand slipped into hers that first day in the hall. It showed in the smile that tugged at her lips when he declared that he would fight to get her back. The way her stomach fluttered when she thought about that day on the tilt-a-whirl. It was his face she saw when she sang. It showed in the way she watched that clock counting down the minutes until she could talk with him again. She loved him so very much. But she thought that it was unfair to Shane to leave him, so she stayed. At the time it seemed like the mature thing to do. Given time Sam would move on too.

Sam deserved better as well. _Clearly I've lost my damn mind because I never thought I would be __that girl__._ She tells herself that she is making the right decision, but she refuses to actually believe it until everything stops hurting. _When will everything stop hurting?_

…

By the time 6 o'clock rolls around, and she's about to walk into Breadstixs, Mercedes is still not sure when it will stop hurting. But life goes on, and they have a job to do. Luckily Joe is just as much of a gentleman as Sam, and Mercedes has no problem giving him a grateful smile as he holds the door open for the entire GodSquad to enter the Sugar Shack.

…

Sitting at a table with some of Puck's 'overflows' a slightly dejected, Sam thinks, _Not one look did she give me. _He can't help but think, _Man, she sounds great singing with Blaine._

Someone brushes up against the back of his chair. He turns expecting to find another one of Puck's sorority dates, but instead he sees Santana. "C'mon Trouty, it's the love shack." She starts to twirl and shake to the music. Curling a finger in his direction, she says in a sing-songy voice, "You know you want to." Smiling, she shimmies her way down, brining face eye-level his, as they both pound on the top of the table to the 'bang, bangs!' "Dance with me, we've earned it and it's been a long time coming." Pulling him up out of his seat, she adds, "But it was so worth it." They both turn and look at their loves on stage with Rachel and Blaine. He raises a questioning eyebrow at Santana. "Don't give up. I didn't and you're not allowed to either."

"And just what am I supposed to do?"

"Right now? Dance! " Santana winks and starts to move in closer, swaying to the music. "You needs to teach me that body roll!"

Raising his arms above his head, doing a little fist pump in time to the music, Sam throws his head back and laughs. "Yes ma'am."

* * *

><p><strong>The Longest 14 Days <strong>_**Ever**_** Are Almost Done**

**Find Your Happy Thought….**

"Trouty Mouth!" Sputtering up from the water, after missing his cue for the fourth time that practice, Sam floats with his chin grazing the top of the water. "Boy, you better get your butt up out of my pool before you kill somebody." Sam slowly climbs out of the water to face Coach Roz. Walking closer, clipboard in hand, she stops just inside of too close. "You are trying my patience today. I could see you slipping, losing focus, not really trying for the last two weeks now, and it's time to put up or get out."

"Sorry Coach."

"Sorry? You're sorry? What is the matter with you? Don't you remember what I told you about having to work extra hard to overcome those freaky nipples? Where is your dream?"

Barely shaking his head, Sam answers with, "Ma'am, I…I don't know."

"You're lying. Something's wrong with you and you better fix it or you're off the team." Upon seeing Sam _not_ recoil from the news, Coach Roz squints her eyes, sucking on her teeth loudly. "What happened? You lose your happy thought?"

Frowning, Sam looks at Coach Roz confused and unsure of how to respond. "My hap—happy thought?"

"As in Peter Pan. You need to fly in this routine and right now you are sinking to the bottom of the pool faster Sue's sandbags." Sam is even more confused. Coach Roz just continues her assault. "Don't just stand there, get it back."

"My _happy_ thought?"

Shaking her head, she says, "Even I can tell that you are a pretty boy. Good thing too, because you are not the swiftest guppy in the pool. Let me break it down for you. You need to close your eyes and find your happy thought. And just like in the movie, when you find it you better hold on to it or you will go splat."

_My happy thought? I don't have any of those left._

"Close your eyes. NOW!" Sam quickly shuts his eyes against the image of Coach Roz. As soon as he does he see's Mercedes' face. His eyes fly back open. Coach Roz leans in and shouts, "Keep them closed!" Again Sam complies, and again all he can see is Mercedes. He can still hear Coach Roz 'coaching' him. "You better find that happy thought. You need to fight to get it back."

Mercedes. _I tried to fight to get her back. I won, but lost._

"Because you are making me very unhappy and you don't want me unhappy."

Mercedes. _She made me so unhappy. But she made me so happy._

"Because if I'm unhappy, all of you will be floating belly up."

Mercedes. _But she was my happy thought._

"I had a dream, and I am trying to share my dream with all of you but I can't do that with you flopping all over the place messing up my routines."

Mercedes. _I still dream about her._

"Trouty Mouth, I need you to find that one thing that you want, that when you touch it, that when you think about it, that when you dream about it, it gives you fins."

Mercedes. _She's still my happy thought._

Coach Roz can see the smile tugging at the side of Sam's mouth. She turns around and walks away, giving herself a virtual pat on the back as she hears the satisfying splash of Sam's reentry into the pool. After blowing her whistle, she shouts, "Alright, again from the top and make me proud!"

**Sparks of Hope Fly …**

Do you believe that there are forces at work that we cannot see? Pulling us into one entanglement, while at the same time pushing us farther away from others? Setting us on a course, that can be meandering, but still set at some points so that certain things are well, certain? For weeks Mercedes and Sam have waged a campaign of actively ignoring each other. We have all played this game. You can share a class and (pretend) to never notice someone. You can be in the same clubs and never speak directly to each other. (Although with a four person club it is quite a strain). You can change your habits to save yourself the drama of having to deal with someone you don't want to see. How is it that two people who have decided to 'move on', two people who take every precaution to avoid unnecessary contact, two people who willfully plan out their day to avoid having to cross the path of the other without cause suddenly find themselves walking towards each other from opposite ends of the unexpectedly empty slow-motion hallway?

Sometimes the thing you fight the most eventually hunts you down and forces you to face it. And let's not forget that not everybody is ready to move on. Sometimes when you get a raw deal, life gives you a little helping hand. Because, some things _are_ certain.

Mercedes is walking towards Sam. Sam is walking towards Mercedes. He is about to make a decision and all she can do is look into his eyes as he stalks towards her.

His eyes.

They are melting her, telling her that he misses her, that he thinks about her, that he loves her. Her pulse is racing. Her palms are getting sweaty. She is starting to feel light-headed. She can feel heat flushing her face, her neck, and out across her chest. She can feel her stomach go flip, then flop, and then grow all fluttery with butterflies. Her pupils dilate and she becomes breathless. _This cannot be happening. _How is it that after all this time he can look in her eyes and make her get all emotional inside? Before Sam she never thought a conversation consisting entirely of looks was even possible. And now, because his looks still burns her to her heart, she knows that if she takes one more step she's lost, having failed herself somehow.

Closing her eyes doesn't make her feel any less high, but it does prevent her from taking another step because she can't see where she's going. She stands there waiting. Her heart is pounding and she can feel herself moistening her lips, letting them fall open slightly. She stands there waiting. Part of her hoping that he will just end this torture and kiss her, but the bigger part of her is hoping that he won't. This would be just as wrong as the last time they had kissed. She's still not ready. Cold hard truths are a real buzz kill and that realization causes Mercedes' eyes to flutter open. She see's that Sam has stopped too. He's standing there, staring at her, but she's not sure what his eyes are saying. However, she can see that he looks hurt, again, and that forces her eyes to close for a second time.

He'd tried. But he discovered that under the hurt, misunderstanding, frustration, anger, sadness, and pain from still being apart, he just couldn't do it. He'd discovered that no matter how hard he tried, he still caught himself thinking of her, sneaking looks at her, wanting her, dreaming of her, and still loving her. He had tried, and he has given up on cutting her from his heart…Which left only one thing left for him to do: Keep fighting.

Opening her eyes, all Mercedes can see is the back of Sam's head as he walks away.

_I can't believe that he just turned around and left. No smile, no nod of the head, no wave…nothing. He could have said hi; we can still say hi, right?_ All she wants to do is run after him. She is unbelievably disappointed, but why? This is exactly what she wanted. She asked for space, to be left alone to fix herself so that the next time she was in love she didn't hurt anybody, and that's exactly what he's been giving her. But, she has a sneaking suspicion that she's just been fooling herself. All this time, weeks of not really speaking to Sam, that were supposed to be spent working on 'Mercedes', was wasted. When she really thinks about it, all she did was miss Sam. Apparently you can't prepare yourself for your next-time love when you were still hopelessly stuck on your first-time love. _How am I supposed to do this? I need help. But who? _Then it hits her. _Quinn, she's the only person I know who's good at letting love go._

…

But what Mercedes _can't_ see is that goofy grin now tugging at the corner of Sam's mouth as he walks away.

Shaking his head, Sam thinks, _How could I have thought that all was lost?_ That look in her eyes she tried to hide behind her lids, he knows that look. _Love, that stupid kind of love that makes you do crazy things. The kind that had me ready to take on a guy three times my size when I first came back. The kind that made us kiss even though she was with somebody else. The kind that is about to make me do something else…crazy, stupid…love._

It was all he needed to keep that spark of hope alive that they would get another chance. She didn't know that it took everything in his power not to walk over to her with her eyes closed and wrap his arms around her. He had been worried that these last two weeks had given her the time she needed to cut him out of her heart. True she'd stopped walking, but even if she wasn't ready to be with him just yet, he can see that she is rapidly losing the battle that he'd already lost. He knows that eventually she will give up too. Even now he wants to turn; to go back to her. But she needs more time, and then she'll see what he sees. True love can be beaten, battered, bruised, and tested in any number of ways, but it never has to end.

**Sister to Sister/Like a Brother…**

_Knock, knock…_

"I'm surprised you didn't just use your key and let yourself in. Of course, once you left you never came back did you Quinn?"

"I suppose I had that coming, didn't I?" Mercedes nods yes very slowly. "Can I come in?"

Stepping back to allow Quinn entry, Mercedes lets out a long heavy sigh. After closing the door, she says, "Sorry. That's not even why I asked you to come over. I'm just…well I guess I'm just in a bad mood."

"What's the problem?"

"Sam."

Looking at Mercedes intently, Quinn says, "I'm not sure I can help you there. I don't have the greatest track record with men."

"That's _exactly_ why I think you can help me. How did you get over him, and Puck, and Finn?" Quinn is taken aback by Mercedes question.

Frowning, she says, "I'm not sure I know what you mean." It is Mercedes turn to look intently at Quinn.

"I thought you were being honest with yourself these days?"

Sitting down on the couch, Quinn pats the empty spot next to her with the palm of her hands. After waiting for Mercedes to settle in next to her, she says, "I can't fool you, can I?" Mercedes just shakes her head. "You're right; I have been passing out a lot of hard truths lately, haven't I?"

"_You are_ disinvited from Rachel and Finn's wedding, whenever that's going to happen."

Eyes bulging, Quinn exclaims, "They're too young!"

With a small flick of her wrist, Mercedes says with a small shrug, "I told her she lost her mind."

Quinn locks eyes with Mercedes and both girls burst into quiet laughter. "I'm sorry I never came back."

"It's okay. No harm, no foul."

"Wow." Quinn is taken back to a day and time she would rather forget. "Interesting choice of words." Letting out a large sigh of her own, she says, "I was a different person then. Sam was the easiest to get over because I had already been burned by Finn and Puck, and I really didn't let him get that close. I played with him more than anything."

Lying back, with her head on the couch facing the ceiling, Mercedes groans dramatically. "Well that's not going to help me."

"I'm not done. Just hear me out." She turns her neck so that Quinn is once more in her view. "Puck was harder because of Beth. I never really dated him or tried with him until she became real. He was just so convenient, and a pretty decent guy. I liked him, but we never really had a chance without Beth in the picture." Reaching out her hand and placing it on Mercedes' knee, she continues with, "But Finn? He was my first love and losing him broke my heart."

"But you guys are friends now. How did you do it?"

"Did you forget the pink hair and the tattoo?" Mouth open, Mercedes cocks her head, frowning.

"I never thought that had anything to do with Finn."

"It did and it didn't." Looking off across the room at nothing in particular, Quinn says in a quiet voice, "I know what you all think of me sometimes." She turns her head slowly towards Mercedes. "The Ice Quinncess. I know. And I understand, but it's not as easy as you think being me." Leaning in, bringing her face close to Mercedes, she says, "I pushed it all away, Finn, Beth, Puck, you, and Sam. Do you think you can do that?"

While thinking of a way to answer Quinn's question, Mercedes does something unexpected. She starts to smile, and not just any smile. She smiles that smile she only gets when she is thinking about that guy that she still loves. The one she is trying to get over and failing miserably. Quinn knows the answer is written all over Mercedes face even before she speaks. Quinn's question takes her back to a day, shortly after Sam left, when she tried to push him away and ended up missing him even more. Slowly, Mercedes starts to recount her tale. "I tried to pack him away in a box a few weeks after he moved away…"

…_oOo…flashback time…oOo…_

As she packs him away, she sings one last song for Sam.

_Almost finished._

All of the things that had been collected that reminded her of Sam were just moments away from being lost in the dark recesses of the basement, where they couldn't make her sad, or hopeful, or full of regret, or attempt to bring her comfort, and most importantly, where they couldn't constantly remind her of him and what they almost had. All of his guitar picks that she collected like a wannabe groupie. All of the flowers he'd picked (_stolen_) for her from various gardens around Lima that she'd dried and preserved. Mr. Fluffles won for her at the fair. Movie stubs for second runs of Harry Potter, The Green Lantern, Iron Man, and Star Trek. The bolo that hung off of one corner of their framed prom picture. The framed prom picture itself. The lock of hair tied with a blue ribbon from the hair cut she gave him after she started to miss seeing his eyes because his bangs grew too long. The blanket of firsts; first dates, first picnics, first wishes on shooting stars, first passion filled kisses, first passion filled embraces…first passion filled _everythings_. All flew into that box. For good measure she tossed in her prom dress too.

Brushing her hands together like she was wiping away her feelings for him at the same time, Mercedes gives her room one last quick scan for any remnants of Sam Evans. _Finished. _

After tucking the box away in the basement she returns to her room and looks at her reflection in the mirror. With her nose just inches away from the glass, she asks herself, _Still in love? _Turning her head slowly, investigating the various angles, she nods her head. _Yup. _And like a magic 8-ball she thinks, _Try again tomorrow._

Then she sees _it_ and everything she tried to expel comes flooding back, prickling the back of her throat making it close tight and stinging her eyes with tears. She slowly pulls the small photo strip from the edge of her mirror. She wants to cry, but Sam's silly face in the third photo won't let her. It is from the fair. Instead of crying, she smiles (that tilt-a-whirl smile).

She didn't even hear those stupid girls talking trash about her, but he did. It was one of the few times all summer that they had gone out where they could be seen in the light of day. Sam figured that the summer was almost over and school was going to start in a few weeks and their secret would be out. Plus, he was pretty bad at keeping secrets anyway. So after earning some extra money working the Fourth of July weekend, she let him drag her off to the State fair.

_*flashbacked…again….*_

"He is too hawt to pass up, wouldn't you agree." One of her friend's leans in and whispers something in her ear. Laughing too loudly, she says, "Oh my goodness. I refuse." Sam can hear the edge in the girl's tone and the giggles from her friends. His ears are literally burning red. He looks over at Mercedes who is busy texting Kurt on her phone while they waited in line for the Tilt-a-whirl, completely oblivious. All day he's worked to ignore the stares, gestures, and ignorance. "No way they're together. I'm gonna get his number. And even if they are, I'm _way_ hotter." Trying to stay cool, he places his hand on the small of Mercedes' back, running it down languidly over the curve of her backside before sliding it up and more firmly around her waist. Without even looking up, she allows him to pull her in close, tucking her head under his chin, leaning back into his chest. "Ewww, no way! That's just gross. I don't even want him now after watching that. Well…maybe if he took a bath first. You know, _decontaminated_." Again, Sam's ears are assaulted by the sounds of laughter hitting the back of his head.

Mercedes knows something is wrong when she feels Sam straighten suddenly. She turns around to see what has gotten his attention. He's looking at some girls around their age, who look like they could be Quinn's cousins (or his for that matter). They were all tall, thin, blonde, and fair eyed. Looking at Sam out of the corner of her eye she can tell that he's pissed about something. Sliding her hand along his forearm, she asks, "Sam what's wrong?"

Barbie says, "Sam is it? I'd like to know what's wrong with you too."

Ignoring the Barbies for a moment, he answers Mercedes. "They owe you an apology."

Frowning, Mercedes gives Sam a little half smile. "No they don't. I've never even seen them before." Before he could say anything else, the next group of riders is let off. "C'mon." She pulls his arm as the line moves ahead, bringing them closer to front of the line. He walks backwards, letting her lead him by the hand, but never taking his flashing green eyes off of the Barbies.

Sneering, Barbie says, "I'm still waiting for my answer." She does a quick point with her finger towards Mercedes, who is still facing forward, once again texting. "Explain _that and you_. And really, you should apologize to me for forcing me to watch that wretch-worthy PDA."

Taking a step towards them, Sam says calmly, "She is not a 'that', she is a woman, she is my girlfriend, and I love her. And you need to watch your mouth."

Mercedes may not have been paying attention to the Barbies, but she is practically pre-programmed to hear Sam, and when his voice hits her ears, she turns around. "What did you just say?"

Ignoring Mercedes, Barbie says, "I could do a lot more to your mouth than watch it." She takes her finger and swirls it on her lips around her tongue.

Sam can tell by the look on her face that Mercedes has guessed what they are talking about. Instead of shrinking back, she slides her phone into her pocket and starts to take out one of her large hoop earrings. Sam can't help but smile, but angry as he is, fighting isn't going to help them. He wraps his long fingers around Mercedes wrist, preventing her from removing the second earring. She turns her simmering anger on him. "Sam let me go."

Sam is smiling. Mercedes isn't sure why, but he has a huge grin on his face. "Watch this." He tugs on her wrist, pulling her to him, using his mouth to lay a massive, toe-curling, hair curling, pulse racing, 'cover the eyes of your small children' kiss.

The Barbies don't like being ignored. Stomping her foot, #1 says, "_Hellooooo_, I'm still talking to you! You could get with this."

Sam is a little too busy to answer this time. The line is moving once more, and there is an ever growing gap between the kissing couple and the entrance to the ride. Eventually other people start to flow past them to enter the gate. As they pass, Sam and Mercedes hear whistles, slow applause, 'get a rooms', and a few wows. Only the Barbies say, "That is just so wrong."

Finally breaking from the kiss, Mercedes says quietly, "I love you too Sam."

Total shock registers on his face. "Oh my gosh! I—I didn't realize." Sam does a face palm as he slowly shuffles behind Mercedes towards the ride entrance. "Of all the times I talked myself out of saying it, why did it have to come out now, with those stupid girls? I wanted it to be special."

Suddenly shy, Mercedes laces her fingers in his and rolls up on her tiptoes to peer over his shoulder at the grumbling Barbies. "It was special, you were being chivalrous. And…" looking into his eyes, she says, "I'm kinda glad you said it first." Looking back at the Barbies, she whispers, "I know a lot of people think there's gotta be something wrong with you for being with me."

"Are you kidding me? For the first time, I think I finally have it right."

Entering the ride, they are seated in a car that is facing their new best friends, the Barbies. Both Sam and Mercedes can't help but laugh as the three girls sit across from them still shaking their heads, mouthing 'wrong'.

Just as the bell rings and the tilting and whirling begin, Sam starts to sing, very loudly. "If loving you is wrong, I don't want to be right…"

Laughing loudly, Mercedes slides along the seat into Sam's side. "You know that song is about his mistress, right? Something you want to tell me?"

"Woman, stop wrecking my game!"

Both of them are thrown by all of that tilting and whirling to the opposite end of the seat. Still laughing, Mercedes shouts back, "Ummm, when exactly did you get game?"

His face the picture of mock-seriousness. "Oh it's on." Sam takes advantage of the next slide towards Mercedes' side of the seat to sear her with another kiss.

Every other tilting whirl brings their ride car across from the Barbies. And with every other tilting whirl Mercedes is either laughing or being kissed senseless. Gosh that is just so wrong!

…_oOo…All of the Flashback times are over!...oOo_

Eyes twinkling, Quinn says quietly, "I didn't think so. Here's a little secret, I wasn't ready push it all away either."

Coming back to her spot on her couch, Mercedes looks at Quinn. "Huh? But I never answered."

"Yes you did. We're being honest, remember? I have finally learned that that's the funny thing about love. As long as we're all still together, it just keeps pulling you back in even harder."

…

"So you'll help me?" Sam looks nervously between Finn and Kurt.

Giving him a large grin and thump to the back, Finn answers with, "Yeah dude, I'm pretty sure that we all will. Rachel _still_ gets all weepy when she thinks about what happened on Valentine's Day in class. I like to keep her on an even keel, so no more tears allowed. Anything you need, just ask."

"Remember that when get around to asking you for your contribution." Finn just laughs and then both he and Sam look over at Kurt.

"Well as long as you're not proposing another marriage?" Kurt shoots Finn a quasi-icy glare before turning his pale baby blues on Sam, who vigorously shakes his head no. "Then I too will help you. You know, I lied before." Smiling faintly, he says, "I wasn't just in it for the shoes. My girl deserves her great love affair too. So what's your big plan?"

"Funny you should ask. I plan on using Mercedes' own words to convince her that we belong together by…"

Later that night, just before turning in Sam takes out his phone and listens to Mercedes' message, saving it for another 14 days.

* * *

><p><strong>End Notes:<strong>

Story Inspiration #1: I read somewhere that Rachel Ray's husband proposed or left really adorable romantic phone messages for her, that to this day she still saves every 14 days. I think that Sam is such a romantic that if he received a message of hope from Mercedes (even by accident) he would do the same. He'd save until hope flickered out. (But they are my OTP and that ain't happening in this story!)

Sam's song, Luther Ingram's 'If Loving You is Wrong (I Don't Want to Be Right)' reminded me of the 'Isn't She Lovely' from S2 Prom Queen where Mercedes whispers something along the lines of, "Isn't that song about a baby?"

And for the record, I prefer Quinn kinda crazy and plot-ty to the new improved (still wearing those odd dresses & boots) passing out loads of sage advice well beyond her years post sectionals Quinn. Yes, I think it's sweet that she helped Sue, but it was still weird. (Weird like Finn will be the best man in Will's wedding.) And don't try to tell me that they are growing up. People do silly stuff well into their adult years. Sorry, I just find it amusing that the most unstable girls on the show are the ones in Season 3 that everyone is going to for advice. (& I actually like Rachel now). But I miss the fun, kooky stuff that used to happen :(

Okay, I'm done mini-ranting.

Thanks for reading and I hope that you liked it (:


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything, not the show, the characters, nada….**

**Title: Every 14 Days I Still Believe (part two)**

**Setting: Season 3, up to end of "Heart". **

**Purpose: Remember, I owe you some MAJOR smiles after the tears.**

**Dedication: To everyone brave enough to read (and review) Web of Love, even after the ugly cries. (and I am super sorry, I'm woefully behind on the thank-yous, but please know that I read, loved, and appreciated each and every review part one received!)**

* * *

><p><strong>Introduction: While Sam prepares to cheesy-romance Mercedes :), she gets advice (mostly unsolicited) from her friends. Oh, and Sam is so happy that he can't help but smile at Mercedes now. He's still giving her space, but he looks without looking away and smiles without hiding it. She thinks that maybe he's finally accepted his role as 'friend'. *giggles* She is so wrong. <strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Over The Next 14 Days <strong>

_SanCedes_…

Crossing her arms while standing in the doorway, Santana says, "Why are you hiding out in Ms. Cochrane's old room?"

"I'm not _hiding_, I'm just sitting here alone, thinking." Mercedes randomly hits a few keys.

Santana slides in next to Mercedes on the piano bench. "What's on your mind?"

Very quietly Mercedes whispers, "Nothing." Santana slides over even more, almost pushing Mercedes off of the short bench. Mercedes pushes back with her hip, fixing Santana with a glare. She pushed her off of a bench that day she sang 'Summer Loving', but Mercedes had let it go. This time she is in the kind of mood to push back. "Watch it Satan. What's _your_ problem?"

Trailing her fingers along the top of the keys, reaching in front of Mercedes to touch the ones on the far end, Santana gives Mercedes a small smile. "Nothing, same as you." Mercedes turns her back to Santana. "Unless of course by nothing you mean Trouty Mouth."

Mercedes shoots a look at Santana over her shoulder. She shakes her head. "It's just all wrong. I can't go from cheating on one guy into the arms of another. That's not right. I'm not like y—" Turning back away quickly, Mercedes stops herself before she finishes her sentence, but Santana knows what she was going to say.

"It's alright, it's true." Mercedes turns back around. "I definitely lied my way to Brittany." Santana shrugs, having long come to terms with it herself. "But you broke up with Shane weeks ago, why are you still doing the pity party thing?"

"I can't go back with Sam. He's the reason I broke up with Shane. That's not fair to Shane and besides, how do I know that I won't turn around and cheat on Sam too?"

"Okay, first thing, I don't really care about Shane. He never said a mumblin' word to me the whole time you two were together." The look on Mercedes' face makes Santana smirk. "You know me, I tells it like it is and he _never_ really talked to any of your friends. If he weren't so hard to miss walking with you down the hall I would have bet good money that you made him up."

Mercedes reaches out as if she's about to whack Santana. She playfully evades the swiping hand, laughing. Indignant, unconvincing in Santana's opinion and not even believing it herself, Mercedes says, "That's not nice. He was my boyfriend and he's not here to defend himself."

"So, Sam's my _friend_ and… so are you. And Wheezy..." Mercedes narrows her eyes at that thankfully now infrequently used moniker, "...you know I'm not nice. Well at least not in the classic sense of the word." Turning to face Mercedes on the bench, she continues with, "And let's be honest, if it weren't for the Troubletones we wouldn't have talked much either." Mercedes nods her head slightly in overt agreement. "Moving on…second thing, it doesn't feel good to start on a lie, but what you and Sam have isn't a lie, it's real love. And rumor has it, _it was good, you know what I mean_?" Santana's lewd eyebrow wiggle and mouthing of the word 'wanky' earns her another fake swipe from Mercedes. Smiling hard, she finishes with, "_And_ third, I don't think you're a cheater. I just think love made you careless. It tends to do that." Mercedes looks as if she doesn't believe her friend.

Santana grips both of Mercedes' shoulders, giving her a little shake and forcing her to look her in the eyes. _"_Maybe you loved Shane, maybe you didn't, I don't know. But what I do know is that you still love Trou—Sam Evans, _hard_. You of all people don't fall in love every day, not the 'Whitney Houston I Will Always Love You/First Time Ever I Saw Your Face cuz it's over ugly cry in the bathroom' kind of love." That brings a sad smile to Mercedes' face.

"I know and I can sort of admit that all of those feelings are still there. That's the only reason that kiss happened in the first place."

Snorting, Santana says, "Can you blame him? Sure he used your love like a greedy green-eyed troll to help him, but he didn't trick you like I tricked Brittany with Artie. He honest to God _wooed_ you woman; _wooed_ you." That brings a much sweeter smile to Mercedes' face. "With songs, and sweet looks, good memories, those enormous lips, and all of that _romance crap_ he shoveled_, _he reminded you of what you tried so hard to forget. You can't hate yourself for finally remembering, and you needs to forgive yourself before you push Sam away for good." Getting up to leave, Santana pauses in the doorway to say, "Trust me, you needs up on them Trouty Lips."

All Mercedes can do is shake her head and laugh.

…

_A coat_

"Hi Blaine, come in. I was just about to show Sam his wardrobe options for the big day." Kurt does a mini-clap and grabs Blaine's hand pulling him downstairs into his basement bedroom.

Looking up from a pile of coats, Sam gives Blaine an uneasy smile. "Hey Blaine, I didn't know you were going to be here. I'm just borrowing a coat."

Looking at Kurt buzzing inside of his closet, pulling out yet another coat, Blaine laughingly says, "Think of me as fashion back-up in case for some reason you can't find anything suitable to wear from Kurt's...ample collection." He points with his eyebrows to a small travel bag in his hands. He whispers the words, "Less-Kurt alternatives."

"I heard that." Kurt emerges from the closet, glaring at Blaine.

"I love you, but your style is unique and I just want to make sure that our fair Sam assembles the best outfit for his planned wooing." Taking Kurt's hand he gives it a quick peck, adding, "You know how I love a good wooing."

Pulling his hand away, but smiling, Kurt turns to Sam and motions for him to look at the first coat.

Nodding his head, Sam pulls it up and says, "No."

"No? What do you mean no?" Snatching the coat up from the discard pile, Kurt says, "I'll have you know that this is a McQueen that I got for a steal at a Neiman Marcus cutthroat sale. You don't' simply say no to McQueen." He holds the coat out for Sam to reevaluate.

Shaking his head no again, Sam says, "It's nice, but not quite what I'm looking for."

Narrowing his eyes at Sam, Kurt asks, "Exactly what are you looking for. You said a coat. I have provided 12 coats. One of them has to work."

"I need a trench coat and I only see 4 of those." Sam pulls the trench coats from the pile. "Light colored." He removes the black military style trench with the bright buttons from the keep pile and places it into the discard pile. "Long." He removes the short white trench with the bright silver buckles from the keep pile. "And not bedazzled or trimmed in fur." The last two remaining trench coats go into the discard pile.

Quickly, before Kurt can fly into a fashion emergency tizzy, Blaine unzips his bag and pulls out his new trench coat. "What about this. It's light colored, long, and not a speck of sparkle or fur. Perfect right?"

Kurt mutters, "Perfectly plain Blaine in my opinion." Turning to face Sam, he adds, "Which should work for you."

Taking the coat, Sam tries it on. Nodding, he says, "I think we have a winner. But I do have one question." Blaine raises his eyebrows at Sam. "What's up with the color? Why is it orange?"

Locking eyes with Kurt before responding, Blaine says, "Sam, it's not orange." Kurt wobbles his head from side to side as if to say 'duh…' "The color is coral, and it's this season's new black."

Looking back and forth between Kurt and Blaine, very slowly Sam says, "_Right._ Thanks."

…

_Jo-Berry…_

"Hrmmm, hmmm."

Mercedes tries to ignore the throat delicately clearing behind her. She knows that throat clearing. That throat recently got engaged. "Hrmmppp, hmmm." Sighing, Mercedes closes her book and turns around.

"Rachel, what brings you to this corner of the library?"

Smiling, Rachel says dramatically, "An emergency."

In a flat tone, Mercedes asks, "What emergency?"

"A—a love emergency." Mercedes turns back around. Rachel quickly slips into the seat across from her whispering, "Mercedes, I get it now. The question you asked during Twilight, seeing his face when we sang Celine for Mr. Schue, the Spanish…" Eyes wide, in an even lower voice, she adds, "…the _Whitney_."

Mercedes closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, counts to ten, opens them and asks, "What exactly is it that you think you've figured out Rachel?"

Sitting back in her chair, voice normal again, Rachel answers with, "What's been going on with you and Sam, and…and Shane."

"And that is?"

"You loved two people at the same time! And that is _epic _on the romance scale, but scary too." Holding up three fingers she says, "I rode the St. Puckerson for a while there. Nearly drove me mad."

Mercedes can't help but think, _Girl, that didn't have anything to do with those boys. You were already crazy._ Shaking away her thoughts, she tries to focus on what Rachel is saying, the other girl having only paused to take in a quick breath, not for Mercedes to participate in the conversation.

"I say, follow your heart but don't lose yourself in the process."

"I already have. I cheated on Shane with Sam. My heart betrayed me."

Taking her hand, Rachel says, "I know Sam wasn't the one you cheated on, but I think that maybe you kissed him for a reason." Taking her hand back, to place it over her heart she says dreamily, "Remember back when I kissed Noah?" Looking at Mercedes she says solemnly, "I did that because I was trying to hurt Finn. And it was wrong and I felt a lot of shame over it. I was just using Noah." Remorse coloring her face, Rachel once again reaches out and takes Mercedes' hand. "_You_ kissed Sam because you still love him. It's not the same, not even close. Really Mercedes, it isn't. You would never intentionally hurt Sam or Shane."

"But I did, and I have to live with the consequences, just like you did. Didn't Finn break up with you when he found out?"

"Yes, but that was the right thing to do at the time. I didn't love Finn the way I love him now. If we didn't go through that then, I don't think we'd be preparing for marriage now. I'm not saying that you and Sam will be together forever, but I am saying that maybe you should be together now. You see Sam's face when you sing; every song you sing is for Sam, and after all of this time, who is still around fighting for you?

"Sam."

…

_A CD_

"Thanks for letting me borrow your laptop to make this CD Brittany. I still don't have a computer of my own." The two gleeks are sitting in Brittany's room on her bed and Lord Tubbington is belly up between them. "Even though my dad is working, money is still tight. I'd use Finn's but his browser history makes me uncomfortable, and he's going to help me another way."

Rolling that great big ball of kitty to the side, she pulls open her laptop and punches in her password. "No problem. You promised to help me make my Santana playlist a real CD too." The way she looks at Sam makes him think that a lot of people use Brittany for things, in exchange for favors that they later conveniently forget to repay. He'd already had a little talking to with Rory about how he'd used her too. Of course that didn't stick, because Sam's pretty sure that he's trying to learn the ways of the Puck.

He thinks, _Oh well, I have to get my love life in order first. Saving Rory from thinking with little Rory, second. _Looking Brittany in the eye, he says, "That's right. In fact, we should make your CD first."

Laying the cat in her lap, she says, "Thanks, but I know you're good for it. Besides, I already have my little devil by the horns and now it's time for Mercedes to reel in her big fish too." Sam can't help but grin at Brittany. "What? Satan and Trouty Mouth. It makes sense." Frowning slightly, she asks, "Right?"

"Best joke I've heard all day." And Sam laughs a mighty laugh with Brittany, rather than at her.

"I want Mercedes to get all of the sloppy kisses she can handle." She begins to purr and rub her face into Lord Tubbington's belly.

Sounding just a little miffed, Sam says, "I may have a big mouth but I don't give sloppy kisses."

"Sure you do. The one I got at Rachel's party was all sorts of messed up."

He silently repeats her words 'all sorts of messed up'. He'd asked Mercedes about it after they'd gotten together and she said that it looked like fun and that it was kinda hot. Running through their entire conversation in his head, the words 'messed up' are nowhere to be found. "Brittany, you can't count that, we were drunk."

Looking up, face full of wonder, she asks quietly, "Hold up, everybody was drinking?" Sam gives her wide incredulous eyes. After a few uneasy moments of silence, Brittany points one long finger at Sam, not even bothering to cover her mouth as she bursts out laughing again. "Just kidding! I was so drunk I swear the earth spun for days."

Deciding that it would do him no good to point out that the earth was in fact still spinning, Sam just reaches over and gives LT a good rub on the tummy. "Good one, Britt. You really had me going."

She stops laughing just long enough to say, "I know, and I'll be here _all _night."

…

_KurtCedes…_

"Tots?"

Shaking her head 'no', Mercedes takes a seat in a quiet corner of the cafeteria across from Kurt. "Uh oh. No to tots? What's wrong my diva?"

Rolling her neck, her eyes, and everything else in Kurt's direction, Mercedes scoffs. "As if you don't know."

"Oh I know. We _all_ know, but I think you are in denial, so I want to hear you say it." Kurt rolls his neck, eyes, and everything else right back at Mercedes, adding a little eyebrow rise to boot.

The two engage in a little battle of wills, which Mercedes finally looses in a huff. "I don't know what to do about Sam." Squinting, she says, "There, I said it. Are you happy now?"

"No, because you are my friend and you aren't happy and honestly everyday Sam is becoming more and more like a brother to me and he's not happy either." Kurt pushes away his tray, his appetite lost too.

"Well maybe you can help me out." Trying not to look too eager, Kurt leans in. "How exactly did you manage to stay friends with Blaine even after he told you that he wasn't interested in you like that?" Kurt's internal excitement is quickly gone. Clearly Mercedes is still trying to fight the good fight.

Giving her a quizzical look, Kurt answers her question with one of his own. "Do you still even want to be friends with Sam, because you have given him nothing but the cold shoulder since you broke up with Shane_ and_ sang that song that nearly broke his heart?"

"Honestly? I don't know what to do." She gives Kurt a heavy look, tinged with uncertainly. "Yes I want to be friends with him. _And_ I want to be able to look at him and not feel like I cheated him, but I can't. And since I can't be with him, as long as he's here, I can't really picture my life without him."

Dropping his divatude, and hopping up from his seat to go to her side, Kurt wraps his arm around Mercedes' shoulders. "Truth is, with Blaine and I, we never stopped being friends all the way through." Mercedes gives him a pained look. "It was only hard for me because I most definitely fell for him the first time I saw him. He grabbed my hand and I felt..." Kurt could feel his cheeks redden. "…things, emotions, stuff that I'd never felt before." Giving her a little squeeze, he says, "I mean, I've had crushes and even they made me do so pretty silly things." Thinking about everything he put Finn through, Kurt does a mini-grimace before continuing. "But what I have with Blaine is love. And, love is like a drug. I enjoy it, but it scares me."

Thinking about how she felt in the hallway with Sam, Mercedes nods her head in agreement. "Don't I know it. I never thought I'd cheat on Shane, on anybody for that matter, but I just got swept away."

"I know that was…_unfortunate_, but maybe it's time to move on?" Mercedes just looks down at her feet and shrugs. "That's what I'm trying to do."

Kurt turns to Mercedes and says, "It's not the same for you as it was for me after I survived the GAP attack." He rolls his eyes at the memory. "You and Sam have a history of being more than friends already. He loves you and you my dear, still love him. Do you really just want to go back to being friends after everything that's happened?"

"Being friends is better than being nothing."

"So that's it? Friends or nothing?" Still looking down, Mercedes slowly nods her head. Kurt's mischievous snicker brings her head up. Clearing his throat quickly, he says, "Isn't that a false dichotomy?"

…

_A boombox_

"So what can I do you for?" Sam walks into Artie's house for the first time. He flashes one of his signature wide toothed grins at Mrs. Abrams and follows his friend into his room/ tricked out AV mecca. (Artie's grin is just toothy.)

The low appreciative whistle is out before Sam can stop it. "Sorry dude. Just, wow."

"I know. I ball so hard, right." Laughing as he points to one of the egg chairs for Sam to sit in, he says, "It's more like my parent's over compensate for, you know, the accident and me being in a chair." Shrugging, he finishes with, "I can't complain."

Sam is still looking around at all of the gear, unaware that it's his turn to speak. He only notices when his 360 in the egg chair brings him around face-to-face with Artie. "Sorry, dude…again." After clearing his throat he gets down to business. "I need to borrow a boombox."

"Didn't you already perform 'Stereo Hearts' for Rachel? Don't recycle serenades man that can only end badly."

"It's not a prop for a song I want to sing, but I legit need it for a song I have to play, for Mercedes."

Cracking his knuckles loudly, Artie declares, "Now that I can help you with." After rolling over to one of his walk-in closets, he pulls open the door, revealing a plethora of assorted audio devices. "Just how old school are you going? Like, do you need to play an actual tape?" Pointing to a shelve of devices, he mutters, "I know your still a little light in the wallet, and I could spring for a CD no problem."

"Thanks for the offer, but not that old school. I have to play a CD, but I'd love to do it on something that looks like an old school boombox."

"Well then my friend…." Artie turns in his chair to look over his shoulder at Sam. "You have come to the right place." He turns all the way around revealing an older looking rectangular box with both a tape deck and a CD player.

Reaching for the box, and extending his fist for a pound at the same time, Sam exclaims, "Thanks man. This is exactly what I was looking for. I promise I'll take good care of it."

"You better. I listened to my first Keith Sweat tape on that dinosaur." Sam gives Artie a questioning look. "I build my game up right and that player is very near and dear to my heart." Rolling out of the closet and closing the door, Artie says, "Speaking of my heart, now that you're all squared away, I was wondering if you could help me with Sugar…"

…

_PuckCedes…_

Slamming her locker shut, Mercedes is startled to see Noah Puckerman's face peering at her. Giving him a weird look, all Mercedes can ask is, "Puck why are you hiding by my locker? You almost gave me a heart attack." Starting to walk away, Puck blocks her way with his body, the look on his face insistent. "What? What is it?" Letting out a loud sigh, Mercedes says testily, "You too? _Really?_" Puck gives her a slight nod. "Okay, have at it."

"Mercedes, stop this mess with Sam. I'm a guy, and I know what guys like, and guys like it when chicks are direct. None of this back and forth BS, some of _us_ happen to have feelings too." Mercedes crosses her arms and arches one brow at Puck. "Not _me_, but Sam is undeniably one of the more sensitive dudes in glee."

Mercedes can't help but laugh. Deep down she thinks that this side of Puck is pretty darn sweet, and too well hidden. He continues with, "What? It's true; the only other guy who's cried more is Kurt." Looking like he's just gotten a bright idea, Puck says, "Maybe it's the lips. They are sorta confusing in an odd sort of way. I suppose I can see why chicks dig him."

Frowning, Mercedes says, "Puck, _you _are sorta confusing. And _I _am late for Regionals practice with the Troubletones."

Reaching out to touch her arm, Puck says quickly, "He's just had to deal with a lot, and you aren't really helping."

"Don't I know it." The look Puck gives her makes her avert her eyes.

"But he's still my boy. And if he can't tell you how it is, I will."

Growing a little tired of being lectured by a sex-shark, recently back in the water, Mercedes asks with a slight edge to her tone, "And just how is it Puckerman?"

Shaking his head, he mutters, "_Girls._ What you need to do is break our hearts and then be done with it."

She wants to be mad at him; to cop an attitude, but she sees something stirring behind his hazel eyes that give her pause. Gently she asks, "So I shouldn't try to be friends again? I should just act as if he doesn't exist? Like _he_ didn't matter? Like _we_ didn't matter?"

Pretending that she is still talking about her and Sam, Puck says, "Exactly. Yo—you know, due to o—our virile guy parts most of us are pretty dumb and you have to make it clear."

Not feeling like pretending anymore, and feeling more pity than anger, Mercedes asks, "I guess you would know from experience?"

Looking at her quickly, Noah says, "Something like that."

"Well I tried that and it didn't really stick."

Looking down the hall at someone, Puck says in a far off voice, "Well then you could just be happy that you get your do over."

Having gotten more food for thought, Mercedes heads off to practice.

…

_Transportation_

"C'mon man, you promised."

Walking away, shaking his head, Finn shoot back, "Yeah, but that was before I found out you wanted my truck." Turning his keys over in his hands, he looks at Sam. "Can't I just drop you off over there?" Sam shakes his head no. "You really have to drive _my_ truck?"

Sam nods his head. "You know that Kurt would _never _let me borrow Baby. And frankly, I'd be a little worried if I scratched it up or something."

"And you'd be okay with scratching up _my_ truck?"

"Ummm,_ yeah_. Kurt would kill me." Squaring off and looking Finn in the eye, he says, "And be honest. Would you even notice a new scratch on that clunker?" Finn shakes his head no, agreeing with Sam, but still not too happy about it. Taking the keys from Finn's fingers, Sam sweetens the deal. "Afterwards, because there is no way that this won't work, I'll have Mercedes bake you a cake."

Brightening, Finn asks cautiously, "Will I have to share it?"

"Only if you want to bro, only if you want to."

…

_CC-Jones…_

All Mercedes can think is, _I give up…_ as she watches Tina enter the bathroom and stand next to her at the sink.

Smiling, she holds up one hand and says, "Don't worry; I'm going to keep this short, sweet, and to the point. I didn't exactly cheat on Artie with Mike, but we didn't exactly end things very _neatly_ either. All I have to say is I wouldn't trade in what I have with Mike for anything, not even to avoid some hurt feelings on the part of my ex. As much as I _cared_ for Artie, Mike is my heart. And I think we all know who is yours."

Tina walks out and again, Mercedes asks her reflection, _Still in love? _Turning her head slowly, investigating the various angles, she nods her head. _Yup. _This time she knows it's not worth asking again. Because Mercedes Jones has finally decided that, she'd tried. But she discovered that under the hurt, misunderstanding, frustration, anger, sadness, and pain from still being apart, she just couldn't do it. She'd discovered that no matter how hard she tried, she still caught herself thinking of him, sneaking looks at him, wanting him, dreaming of him, and still loving him. She had tried, and she has given up on cutting him from her heart…

Which left only one thing left for her to do: ..._Oh hell, what am I supposed to do? He thinks I don't want to be with him anymore, but I still…_

* * *

><p><strong>14 Well Wishes, If You Count Mr. Schue <strong>

_Monday I'm just going to march up to him and tell him that I'm ready to do this. _Pacing, Mercedes pauses and thinks in a light panic, _What if he's moved on? It's been weeks, and he's been looking unusually pleased with himself lately. He's been smiling that…smile. _Continuing with her mission to wear a rut into her bedroom floor, she thinks, _I make him smile that smile. Or at least I used to. _Stopping once more she thinks, _What if he's found someone else? Did I miss my chance? _Pulling out her phone she thinks,_ Maybe I should call him._

What she doesn't realize is that she already did. Exactly 14 days after Sam Evans moved away, Mercedes Jones called him. He got the message loud and clear, and very shortly, so will she. Mercedes tried to pack Sam away, and right along with all of those mementos in the box, she tried to hide away her feelings too. But she sang to him and there was no way that he could ignore it. No one could. Every time she opened her mouth she pulled him closer. Whether it was a spicy love song in a different language or a not so sweet love song whose message was clear as day, she never failed to reach him. All of them really. Finn always looked like he was in awe, Artie always looked like…well like something else was going on, and Puck always tried to wipe away his tears before they fell. Sam was all three rolled into one.

Mercedes already called him and the die was cast. This could only end one way and she shouldn't be worried. Because, some things _are _certain.

Hands trembling, Mercedes stops pacing and picks up her phone. Just as she's about to hit call, she hears Mariah. "You look in my eyes; And I get emotional inside; I know it's crazy; But you still can touch my heart…." Actually she hears her singing Mariah.

_How the hell? _Looking at her phone as if it suddenly sprouted fangs and spines she drops it with a soft thump onto her rug. Eyes wide, and still afraid to believe that this is happening, Mercedes cautiously peeks out of her bedroom window. Slowly she thinks, _This is happening. _The thought, once out took on a life of its own, whirling around her head and flying out of her mouth. "This _is_ happening. Thisishappening. Thisishappening!"

Sam isn't sure if this is working. As far as he can tell the only people who have come out to see what all the commotion is about are Mercedes' neighbors. But Sam is strong and luckily the new school boomboxes don't weigh 20 pounds like the originals. He can stand there all day with his arms up above his head if he has to, but…_I think her curtain just twitched! _It looks like he won't have to.

Slowly backing away from her window, Mercedes gives herself a huge hug as the song filters its way in.

"I still believe; Someday you and me; Will find ourselves in love again…"

_I guess I never really stopped loving Sam and it looks like he never really stopped loving me either. _She starts laughing as she recalls her neighbor, Ms. Johnson, old and widowed, but apparently still possessing some fully functional hips judging by the way she was swaying in her housecoat on her front porch across the street. She starts to do her super crazy happy oh hell to the yes dance. (Which looks sort of like a when you or I are being chased by a bee…minus the screaming.)

…

"If there's one spark of hope; Left in my grasp; I'll hold it with both hands; It's worth the risk of burning; To have a second chance…"

"What on earth is that?"

"Romance, you should try it sometime."

"Romance, you call this romance?" He scoffs, and then mutters, "_Please_, this isn't romance. I know romance. I don't need some old movie or some seventeen year old kid to teach me anything about romance…" He can barely keep his face straight as he looks over at his wife.

Holding one finger up to her lips, Mrs. Jones motions for silence from her husband as they discreetly peek out of the living room window through a slit in the curtain. "Oh hush. It's sweet and you know it."

"Maybe, but why did he have to park that truck halfway onto the lawn. Romance works just fine when you follow all of the rules and park your car on the street like every body else." Standing to his full height and crossing his arms, he says, "And I'm making him fill in those tire ruts before leaves too."

"You ain't fooling anybody." After playfully plucking her husband on his forearm, Mrs. Jones chuckles. "You know just like I do that love breaks all the rules."

"So now this is love?" He gives her a mocking expression, saying in a sour sing-song voice, "I thought this was just _romance._"

Giving him a baleful look, she says, "It better be love, or else he's crazy and you should get your shotgun to scare him off."

Peeking once more at the boy standing in their walkway exuding that whole 'I shall not be moved' vibe, he answers with, "Please woman, either way I am already fixing to polish her up tonight, a_fter_ we've invited him in for dinner of course."

"Of course." Mr. Jones pulls his wife into his arms, rolling his eyes at the teenager standing on _his lawn_, trying to woo _his daughter_, making him look all unromantic in front of _his woman_. They both look up as they hear a pounding 'thump, thump, thwump' from Mercedes' upstairs bedroom. They hear one final 'boom' which they know means that she's just cannon balled onto her bed. Laughing again Mrs. Jones pulls her husband away from the window, saying, "C'mon, let's go and hide before she comes down here. Not like she'd even notice us with Sam out there, but still. Her memory, I'd hate to muck it up for her."

Smiling, he answers back with, "Ummm hmmm. Now you're the one who's not fooling anybody. Just what are we gonna do while we _hide_?"

Shrugging, she says, "I don't know. Maybe you could show me some of that romance you supposedly know."

Pulling her into the study, and locking the door, he says, "Oh I think I can make that happen."

…

Falling face down on her bed, Mercedes screams as loud as she can into her pillow. Standing, she smoothes out her clothes and nonchalantly looks towards the window again. "If we believe that true love never has to end; Then we must know that we will love again…." Her casual attitude lasts for about 5 seconds before she races back over to the window, throwing the curtain open.

Sam returns her smile with one just as wide and as open and as excited. She waves to him with her fingers and makes a heart shape with the two halves of her hands against the window. He gives her a little blown kiss and eyebrow wiggle in return, jerking his head indicating that she should come down and greet him properly.

As she runs down the stairs, Sam makes his way to her doorstep, so that by the time the door flies open, he's standing there waiting. Shyly she says, "Y—you still believe?"

Stepping closer, sliding his hands around her waist, tucking her head under his chin, Sam nods yes. "You're the one who believed first and told me not to give up."

"I remember singing that song." Pulling back, she rolls up onto her tiptoes to look him in the eyes. "That was months ago Sam. You saved it all that time?"

Leaning his face down, brushing his nose across hers, he says, "I told you that I would fight to get you back and I meant it. I think I would have given up by now, but every time I listened to you singing that song…well, let's just say it made it hard to move on."

Sliding her hands up to brush through the hairs on the back of his neck, she asks quietly, "So what happens next?"

"I'm not going to let you off that easy. Say it."

"Say what?" No response from Camp Sam. "Can I just say anything?"

A small familiar smile starts to tug at the corner of his mouth. He shakes his head no. "Say it."

Clearing her throat, she says, "I love you."

Cocking his head to the side as if he didn't hear her, he asks, "What?"

"I love you." Pulling back she asks, "How many more times do I have to say it?"

Picking her up and smiling a smile that makes his eyes dance, Sam says, "One more would be nice."

"I love you…." Pushing her face towards his for her kiss causes him to pull back teasingly. "…_please_. I love you."

Just before giving in to the inevitable tide that is about to crash over them he says, "I know you do."

* * *

><p><strong>Kisses, 14 To Make Up For All Of Those Missed While They Were Apart<strong>

One…

A delicate beginning kiss to wipe away all of the tears shed when he left and she let him go. It is soft and gentle and makes her stomach flutter and swirl. He kisses her eyelids and lashes, preventing anymore tears from falling. She lays delicate kisses along his cheeks, to soak up what was shed. They both break away sighing. Her eyes are already beginning to glaze over, and thanks to her roaming hands, his hair is already thoroughly disheveled and mussed.

Two…

A slightly fumbling kiss that shows that they haven't really done this in a while. Chaste. Sweet. Cherished. Innocent. Precious. It is the same as the stolen kiss and yet it is a completely different animal. This time she can enjoy it, and the feeling it gives her starts where their lips meet and races all the way down to her toes, setting off a million little sparks along the way. It lights her up and makes her tingle in places that she hasn't felt tingle in a while. It makes her smile against his lips. And it brings a smoochy smile to his face in return. And just like that, they are through any awkwardness or uncertainty.

Three…

A kiss to let go of everything that they had been holding back. One to show how they felt before he left during the very best parts of all that summer loving, how they felt to finally be back together in each other's arms, and to show how were always going to feel. This kiss pulls their heartstrings taunt. (And maybe the front of Sam's pants too.)

Four…

An insistent kiss to burn away all of those sad lonely nights he spent thinking of her after he left. He tries to reach all of the places that he's missed touching everyday that he's left and since his return a few months ago. It's a good thing that he can hold her close to him with one arm because her legs are useless at this point. Her toes are grazing along the top of the ground as she melts into Sam.

(And Mercedes can vaguely hear her daddy mutter something like 'that boy is lucky I love him too, or else…' just before her mom laughingly shuts the front door)

Five…

A kiss to say 'I'm sorry'. I'm sorry that I had to leave. I'm sorry that I had to move on (ummm but she totally didn't). I'm sorry that I couldn't let you go (oh wait no he's not & she's not either). I'm sorry that I kissed you (oh wait, no he's not.) I'm sorry that I pushed you away.

But…really in the end, all's fair in love and war. I'm sorry that you got such a raw deal Shane (oh wait, no I'm not…)

Six…

A hungry kiss, one that only begins to feast on the ampleness that is Mercedes Jones. In his eyes, he can never get enough of her. There would never be enough time to lavish her lips with the attention they deserved. To pepper her neck with the pulling, teasing kisses that brought her pulse racing to the surface under his lips. To play an endless game of wills with her tongue in his mouth or his in hers. Never enough. But Sam's not going to let that stop him from trying.

(The door opens. "Dinner?" Feeling all awkward and weird in her own house, Mrs. Jones says, "Guess not." The door closes.)

Seven…

A kiss to show that she really did wants up on those Trouty lips. She pulls his lower lip away slightly with the very edge of her teeth, quickly running her tongue along it before letting go, making him shudder as he holds her. Lips to match her own. Soft and supple from copious chapstick application. Full and wide, from only God knows what. Plump and perfect for hers.

Eight…

A kiss full of passion and burning to _finally _unleash the tiger that has been pacing most impatiently behind the bars of Sam's heart. This kiss draws whimpers and other small sounds from the back of Mercedes' throat, and causes a purring growl to rumble up from the depths of Sam's chest. This kiss causes her to wrap her dangling legs around his waist, and it causes him to press her back up against the side of her front door. It is the kiss that almost makes them forget that they are on display in the waning light for all to see.

(And it is the kiss that makes her parents turn on the front porch light, bringing them back, even momentarily, from the edge of 'y'all are already indecent, but this…')

Nine…

A kiss to forgive and to forget. To forgive him for leaving in the first place. To forgive her for trying to give her heart away to someone else when it was always Sam's. To forgive him for stealing that kiss and using _Michael _to do it. To forgive her for breaking his heart and using _Whitney _to do it. And well, to forget once again that they are still on her front step, on display, for all to see.

Ten…

A kiss that holds a million promises. A promise to always love, a promise to keep fighting, and a promise to be young and enjoy what life has blessed them with. Plus a promise that when Sam can actually get her alone for a few uninterrupted hours…

(And it is the kiss that makes her parents turn the light back off. Nobody needs to see that!)

Eleven…

This is a kiss to show the freedom afforded to them by the night. Mercedes' hands finally roam up under the fabric of Sam's shirt inside of his trench coat. She slowly and thoroughly traces the hard valleys and mounds created by his muscles, her fingers remapping all of her favorite places on the terrain of his chest to her brain. God how she has missed these wandering travels along the expanses of his smooth, soft (yet hard) skin. Sam finally gives into to the temptation to take his hand and slide it from its position around her waist to her ankle. From her ankle his fingers are drawn like a missile along the side of her calf, grazing the top of her knee, up under the fabric of her clothing along her thigh, and around the curve of her backside. God how he loves the fact that she wears dresses on a rather regular basis now.

(And this kiss drives even the voyeur Ms. Johnson back inside to the comforting arms of her Lazy-boy recliner. You have to give her credit as she tucks away her fogged spectacles and closes her door behind her. She tried, but she's an old woman and her heart just can't take any more.)

Twelve…

Oél ngáti kámeie…A blue tinged, oxygen depriving, soul linking kiss with their eyes wide open, swimming down into the depths hopelessly lost forever. They are more than okay with this and fight to hold on for a long as possible. They pull away on long enough to take a quick breath before going to swim again in pools of swirling, twinkling browns and greens.

(And it's a good thing that Sam's eyes are open, because he doesn't miss the gleam in Mercedes' father's eyes as Mrs. Jones opens the front door. She's standing there holding a wrapped plate (the dinner he never got to eat) and he's standing there holding his shotgun (also gleaming after having been polished in silence during all of the kissy-faced times).)

Thirteen…

A rushing kiss to celebrate luck, second chances, do overs, and a true love that never has to end. To show how grateful they were for understanding parents, nosey romantic friends, Mariah, Michael, and Whitney.

(Smiling Mrs. Jones says, "Say good night Sam." For some reason, Mr. Jones is not smiling.)

Fourteen…

A final kiss of goodbye until tomorrow to remind them that they both still believed that they would somehow find themselves in love again. In truth, they never fell out of love, and hope was always there.

…

All it took was one errant phone call singing one heart's desire and one faithful true love to save that message, once every 14 days.

* * *

><p><strong>End Notes: <strong>

Story Inspiration #2 & 3: Bits and pieces or references to Mariah Carey's 'I Still Believe' were scattered throughout parts one and two, and it was the song Mercedes sung the day she left the accidental message while she tried to pack Sam away. And Sam's crazy, stupid play for love came from his secret love of Cedes' Choice movie nights and her mid-summer pick of 'Say Anything', as did that bit of "I love you/say it one more time" bit-o-dialogue there at the end. (It's not like Mercedes would actually let him watch Avatar, or some flick starring Harrison Ford every single time! And I am old and don't get out much. Do boys even do this kind of stuff anymore?)

I don't want to have to wait the entire stoopid hiatus to see them together. Sam Evans loves to pour on the romantic gestures. Although I must admit that I'm happy that Mercedes is finally getting her **in-cannon** **amazing** **eyesex** **and serenades** like the other girls.

They have built up this huge dam of unbelievable SamCedes cuteness that will absolutely kill me when it bursts and they finally get back together in cannon. Dead. Everybody ships SAMCEDES. Everybody.

(Oh and YES I still ship Pizes; don't judge me).

Random- I always feel the need to inappropriately end some verb with an 's' where Santana is concerned. It's just not right otherwise. And who exactly is Mercedes' friends with on the show now? I can't even tell anymore. I love my Samcedes, but a diva needs her friends too. Where the heck are they? And for the record, I generally hate the whole Wheezy thing and all things totCedes related. _Anywho_…

I was really going for fluffy here dear readers! I hope this makes up for some of the tears. And once again, thanks for reading and I hope that you liked it :)

I shall now continue with my regularly scheduled fanfics. *giggles*


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